For those interested in the concept of Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) (Scottish Government, 2008) there is a blog and network worth reading and joining.
The blog post “With apologies to Dewey” (McGregor et al., 2023) looks at the challenge issued to PGDE(S) Art & Design student teachers to consider how their subject links to other subjects and how they can embed interdisciplinary thinking into their teaching. Their ideas and connections were captured in “thinking maps” (Hyerle, 1996) and summarised in the text of the post. The authors finish with two questions that challenge other subject tutors working in Initial Teacher Education:
What kinds of thinking maps would other teaching students create? Do other subjects think in this way?
(McGregor et al., 2023)
More widely the blog or website for the Interdisciplinary Learning Network is looking to promote dialogue and learning amongst all educators interested in IDL. One of its main aims is “to build a collaborative, participatory, open and forward-looking community of practice…” (IDL Network, 2023) which came from the Interdisciplinary Learning: Creative Thinking For A Complex World conference hosted by the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) in 2019.
You can subscribe/join the network by entering your email address and you will receive updates as and when new posts are published. The organisers are also interested in hearing from anyone who wishes to contribute to the ongoing discussion on IDL.
Reference List
- Hyerle, D. (1995) ‘Thinking maps: seeing is understanding’, Educational Leadership, 53(4), 85-89, Available at: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17845371/AONE?u=anon~c804f99f&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=d41d15a9 [accessed 01 Dec 2023].
- IDL Network (2020) About – The Interdisciplinary Learning Network. Available at: https://idlnetwork.substack.com/about [accessed 01 Dec 2023].
- McGregor, F. McCormack, R. and Sharkey, M. (2023) With apologies to Dewey. Available at: https://idlnetwork.substack.com/p/with-apologies-to-dewey [accessed 01 Dec 2023].
- Scottish Government (2008) Curriculum for excellence: building the curriculum 3: a framework for learning and teaching. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Available at: https://education.gov.scot/media/0cvddrgh/btc3.pdf [accessed 01 Dec 2023].